695:
Although all previous
Comicons sponsored by the Academy of Comic Art Fans and Collectors have been traditionally held during the summer months, this year's function has been scheduled to coincide with the Thanksgiving Holiday. The 1968 Academy Con will commence on November 29th and continue thru the
147:
would be an effective way "to emphasize the seriousness of comics fans about their hobby". Bails further liked "the idea of a fandom organization that would not only perpetuate the concept of comics as an art form, but would also act as a sort of umbrella for all his ideas and projects, and those of
382:
By 1968, comics fandom — including annual conventions being held in New York, Detroit, St. Louis, and the
Southwest — had become well established, and the academy's mission had been essentially fulfilled. In early 1968, due to a number of factors, Executive Secretary Kaler left, and Academy member
391:" may have helped revive interest temporarily — it noted that the group "holds an annual poll to determine the most popular mags, writers and artists of the preceding year" (referring to the
657:
Schelly, Bill. "The Kaler Con: Two Views: Bigger And Better Than The Benson Con Just Three Weeks Before?? (Part VIII of '1966: The Year Of (Nearly) Three New York Comics
Conventions')",
284:
notes that the Alley Tally and "even larger fan meetings in
Chicago . . . helped build momentum" for these earliest conventions. Bails himself was "on the organizing committee" for the
118:, the "father of comics fandom". A vital player in the development of comics fandom, the ACBFC brought fans of the medium together, administered the first industry awards (the
264:, with the purpose of counting "the Alley Award ballots for 1963". This became notable in retrospect as the first major gathering of comics fans, predating the earliest
187:" by Thomas "because surely a caveman had to be the earliest superhero chronologically". The first Alley Awards, given for the calendar year 1961, were reported in
727:
Marvel "Bullpen
Bulletins" page, "Fabulous Facts and Frivolous Fables from Frantic Fans, Faithful Friends, and Fiendish Foes!" in Marvel Comics
419:, meanwhile, became "a mainstay of fandom", continuing as a (generally) monthly magazine under a succession of editors (including Hanerfeld and
144:
403:). Nonetheless, the academy waned, "and it was disbanded for lack of interest by the decade's end". 1970 was also the final year of the
165:, which traced their origin to "a letter to Jerry dated October 25, 1961", by Thomas, in which he suggested to Bails that his fanzine
152:
was established. Bails served as the academy's first executive secretary, which had an initial roster of about twenty members.
753:
566:
307:
and the academy had a membership of 2,000. Under Kaler's leadership, the academy produced three successful "Academy Con"
171:
create its own awards to reward fandom's "favorite comic books in a number of categories" in a manner similar to the
374:(a.k.a. the "International Convention of Comic Book Art"), which took place in New York City in the summer of 1968.
711:
553:"The Alley Awards for 1961: A Report from Roy Thomas, Secretary of the Academy of Comic Book Arts and Sciences".
596:
260:
On March 21–22, 1964, the first annual "Alley Tally" by ACBFC members was organized by Bails at his house in
479:
Profiles of 90 Publishers, Dealers, Collectors, Writers, Artists and Other
Luminaries of the 1950s and 1960s
395:) and directed fans to obtain a ballot from then ACBFC executive secretary (and future comics professional)
363:
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332:
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was name of the ACBFC journal, the first issue of which was published in
October 1964 out of
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weekend, but it never came to pass, possibly because of the successful first iteration of
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8:
249:
424:
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175:. Initially suggested as "The Alter-Ego Award", the resulting idea was soon named "The
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At the end of 1964, Bails passed on his role as executive secretary to fellow fan
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enthusiasts and historians. Active during the 1960s, the ACBFC was established by
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69:
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In 1963 Bails renamed the organization (which now had a membership of 90) the
747:
312:
268:, which were held later in the year. Attendees included Ronn Foss, Don Glut,
16:
First official organization of
American comic book enthusiasts and historians
557:(4). October 1962. Reprinted in Thomas, Roy; Schelly, Bill, editors (2008).
139:
The idea of the academy was inspired by Bails' friend and fellow enthusiast
509:
404:
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367:
348:
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during the summers of 1965–1967, attracting industry professionals such as
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publish "a directory of comic fans" in the hopes of building local chapters
228:
endorse a "code of fair practice in the selling and trading of comic books"
212:
180:
176:
162:
119:
90:
728:
685:
612:
Graves, Philip. "Early comics fandom (Part 2) - After the Alley Awards",
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74:
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184:
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Graves, Philip. "Early comics fandom (Part 1) - The Alley Awards",
344:
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592:
261:
218:
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172:
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By 1965, the title of ACBFC Executive
Secretary had passed to
561:. Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 48–49.
529:
Of Comics and Men: A Cultural
History of American Comic Books
122:), and assisted in the establishment of the first comic book
161:
The academy's first order of business was to administer the
733:
466:
Demanding Respect: The Evolution of the American Comic Book
387:
declared the ACBFC "moribund". A 1969 mention in "Marvel
241:, and encourage industry professionals to participate
427:, which published the magazine until the mid-1980s.
559:
Alter Ego: The Best of the Legendary Comics Fanzine
745:
531:(University of Mississippi Press, 2010), p. 265.
512:. "Jerry Bails' Ten Building Blocks of Fandom",
593:"Early days of UK comics conventions and marts"
362:Kaler planned another Academy Con for the 1968
134:
148:others". In short order — 1961 or 1962 — the
653:
651:
143:, who felt a comics-industry version of the
637:
635:
145:Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
648:
625:"With a Little Help From His Friends...",
201:Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors
110:) was the first official organization of
104:Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors
20:Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors
683:"Who Ever Heard of Jay Scott Pike!?! ".
632:
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468:(Temple University Press, 2009), p. 94.
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423:), before being taken over in 1973 by
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603:DezSkinn.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2013.
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449:
629:vol. 3, #25 (June 2003), pp. 14-19.
13:
14:
765:
671:RBCC Rocket's Blast Comicollector
518:vol. 3, #25 (June 2003), pp. 5-8.
295:(who termed himself "ExecSec2").
237:assist in establishing a yearly
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641:Schelly, Bill. "Introduction",
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234:endorse other fan organizations
194:
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1:
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754:Comics-related organizations
689:. Vol. 1, no. 19.
135:Origins and the Alley Awards
7:
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407:(awarded for calendar year
211:conduct and administer the
10:
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481:(McFarland, 2010), p. 181.
437:Academy of Comic Book Arts
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129:
693:. January–February 1969.
203:upon ratification of its
86:
58:
48:
40:
32:
24:
645:(McFarland, 2010), p. 8.
217:publish the comics news
286:Detroit Triple Fan Fair
270:Don and Maggie Thompson
731:April 1969, including
527:Gabilliet, Jean-Paul.
309:comic book conventions
266:comic book conventions
372:Comic Art Convention
207:, with these goals:
734:The Incredible Hulk
280:. Comics historian
250:South Bend, Indiana
60:Executive Secretary
44:Comics organization
21:
712:"Academy Moribund"
696:first of December.
599:2012-02-01 at the
425:Street Enterprises
401:Flushing, New York
378:Decline and demise
19:
616:(Sept. 11, 2009).
567:978-1-893905-88-7
389:Bullpen Bulletins
353:Carmine Infantino
239:comics convention
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191:#4 (Oct. 1962).
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405:Alley Awards
393:Alley Awards
381:
368:Phil Seuling
364:Thanksgiving
361:
349:Bill Everett
333:James Warren
302:
290:
282:Bill Schelly
274:Mike Vosburg
259:
256:Alley Talley
245:
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221:
213:Alley Awards
200:
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195:Ratification
188:
181:V. T. Hamlin
166:
163:Alley Awards
160:
149:
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120:Alley Awards
107:
103:
101:
91:Alley Awards
87:Affiliations
54:2,000 (1965)
50:Membership
729:cover-dated
686:Teen Titans
673:#52 (1967).
421:Paul Levitz
325:Gardner Fox
321:Bill Finger
317:Otto Binder
299:Academy Con
278:Grass Green
177:Alley Award
157:Alley Award
116:Jerry Bails
95:Academy Con
82:(1968–1970)
77:(1965–1968)
72:(1964–1965)
65:Jerry Bails
716:Newfangles
443:References
337:Roy Thomas
305:Dave Kaler
141:Roy Thomas
112:comic book
75:Dave Kaler
691:DC Comics
659:Alter-Ego
627:Alter Ego
555:Alter Ego
515:Alter Ego
189:Alter Ego
185:Alley Oop
168:Alter-Ego
33:Dissolved
28:1961/1962
25:Formation
748:Category
643:Founders
597:Archived
582:, p. 23.
580:Founders
431:See also
345:Stan Lee
341:Gil Kane
262:Detroit
219:fanzine
205:charter
130:History
565:
355:, and
276:, and
173:Oscars
246:Forum
108:ACBFC
563:ISBN
409:1969
102:The
41:Type
36:1970
411:).
370:'s
311:in
183:'s
750::
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106:(
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